what happened to these plans?

[cnwnorthline]

Hi,

I googled “Chicago Terminal Railroad” and came across this link:

http://www.leedcouncil.org/newsletter/chicago.pdf

Anybody know what happened to Chicago Terminal’s plans to bring a “major bio-diesel” company to Chicago?  (I can’t remember discussing this before)

-Matt

[robertmroman]

A good question; I was wondering that myself when I ran across it. Like you, I was idly curious and googled the railroad. What I found interesting was the published schedule of tariffs and charges. Chicago Terminal has a new set in effect, as of March 1:

http://www.narps.org/FTs_A-E/FT_CTM_8000_A.pdf

What is particularly interesting is that the document lists the customers served on each of the Chicago Terminal lines. In the case of the North Avenue operation, they list 6 customers. One is General Iron Industries at 1901 N. Clinton. I hadn\'t heard them mentioned before. They are still listing Peerless, though possibly they\'re just referring to the siding. And they list Waste Management. I don\'t know that Waste Management has ever used Chicago Terminal, though it\'s entirely understandable that they\'d like having the option of doing so. It doesn\'t seem to me that there\'s room for a waste transshipment facility, but it might be nice for getting shipments of dumpsters....

I\'ve only recently started walking North Avenue again (health problems), and what with the rain it\'s been hard to say how much the line to Goose Island has been used lately. Work on the bridge is proceeding, however, and I did notice yesterday that a section of rail had been replaced between the bridge and North Avenue.

I wonder where the bio-diesel plant was intended to be? Chicago or Elk Grove Village?

be well,
bob roman

[TBurke]

Bob:

Good catch on that document from the CTR.  

General Iron Industries has been the largest shipper on the CTR since its inception, and prior to that, was CP\'s largest shipper on the former Milwaukee Road C&E Line.  Their facilities have grown over the years and now span the better part of three city blocks off Kingsbury between Cortland and Willow.

Waste Management used to be a shipper in the Milwaukee Road days on Goose Island but I never saw any cars spotted there in the Soo Line/CP Rail era from 1986 to the CTR era.  Remains of the former lead to Waste Management on the east side of Goose Island are embedded in the dirt to the east of the track that comes off the Cherry Street bridge though this track was severed and removed from a point about 50 yards southeast of the main track.  

The Waste Management facility was reached by the same track that once went to the team tracks on Division Street at Hooker.

There is space near the Cherry Street bridge for a waste transfer site I would suppose.  Not sure if the old ROW could be used anymore due to the reconstruction of Goose Island by the city in the last ten years with a new street grid.